Well, here’s a book that turned out vastly different than I was imagining it to be. Eternity by Maggie Shayne was a sale pick up from BookBub (What’s BookBub? - learn more) that I got a few weeks ago. The synopsis implied to me it was a modern setting, however I was wrong, not disappointed, just surprised. [goodreads review]

Recommendation: The witch trials were brutal and Eternity does little to hide that, if you’re into historical fiction, this does have a nicely woven in connection. There are some violent deaths and though not extremely graphic, something to note. All of the romance, historical, and magical aspect were combined together to create a wonderful read and fans of that genre may find this a pleasant afternoon.

Raven is a witch in a time when being a witch is dangerous, but when her cousin is taken by the plague, the danger becomes all too real. Left without a home, and not much too her name, Raven’s only family is in the New World and must venture across the Atlantic to begin again. Trouble always follows, but love does too.

The synopsis of the book made it feel like the story would pick up in modern time, but after reading chapter one… then two… and finally getting to four (three was out of order entirely and I didn’t find it in the ebook copy until nearly 200 pages in), the modern age shows up. I wouldn’t say this is a negative, simply not what I was expecting, however, I didn’t mind it overall.

The story was filed with characters of all different personalities. Raven, our main protagonist, was perfect and short of being a witch when they were persecuted, she really had no flaws. As the story progressed, she became whiny and boring, but the introduction of Arianna made up for it. Raven and Arianna had some very entertaining interactions with one another, and their love for one another was written more believably than the Raven and Duncan's, especially since Duncan’s main plot function was to fawn over Raven as if she were oxygen. Raven’s mother and the story’s villain were also two strong characters that even when not in a scene, as the reader my mind would often return to them. The characters were very obviously the focus in the story seeing as how the setting was so minimally described. There were no glorious forest explanations or poetic descriptions of the Atlantic crossing.

The story itself was enjoyable and entertaining with some pretty simple but effective story arcs. Small surprises were littered through the text and a few times I found myself smiling at how a mini story arc had been concluded. There were a few plot holes, one near the end that still has me scratching my chin, but overall, very enjoyable.